Custom officials discuss ways to combat sales of fake products.

Brand Owners and Protection Group is all set to establish an alliance with Dubai Customs, a Japanese and a Chinese group for protecting intellectual property rights. The move is an attempt to combat piracy and products' imitations.

"We have come across 137 cases of fake products during the past five months compared to the number of cases that had reached 204 for 2008. Most of these products were electronics and mobile phones," said Yousuf Ozair Mubarak, Senior Manager of Property Rights Department at Dubai Customs.

Mubarak predicted a decline in the number of such cases in the coming years due to the efforts of the UAE authorities, especially in Dubai.

Omar Shteiwi, Chairman of BPG, denied any knowledge of the volume of trademark products in the GCC, but he confirmed the impact of the financial crisis on such brands saying the first four months of the year were the "worst on products that have distinct trade marks". And this is due "to the financial reflections of the crisis and consumers' need to buy cheaper products".

Yousif Al Sahlawi, Executive Director of the Legislations and Policies Division at Dubai Customs said: "Dubai Customs was the first customs department in the Middle East to establish a unit dedicated to intellectual property four years ago."

The announcement came during a conference held in Dubai yesterday which was attended by senior UAE officials and Jack Chang, Chairman of the Quality Brand Protection Committee in China and Kuniyasu Funaki, CEO of the Japan External Trade Relations Organisation in Dubai, Middle East and North Africa.